Social media and digital content have made copyright laws much more difficult to enforce, but a handful of independent music companies are suing 14 NBA teams for copyright infringement in that area, seeking damages that could amount to millions of dollars.
According to Front Office Sports, attorneys for five independent music companies, including Kobalt Music Publishing, Artist Publishing Group, and Prescription Songs, have filed 14 separate suits, alleging teams used copyrighted songs in social media posts without permission.
In one example cited, the New York Knicks are accused of using songs by Jay-Z and Cardi B without permission. Other teams named in the lawsuits, all filed by the same attorneys, are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers.
While the details of each lawsuit and the songs in question vary, all the complaints feature Kobalt Music, the exclusive licensing agent for all the songs in question. The suits were filed July 18 in US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Attorneys Anthony Motta, Douglas Johnson, and Dan Lifschitz wrote in each lawsuit that the NBA teams should know better, because they are so diligent in protecting their own copyrighted material.
“Defendants are acutely aware of the protections that the copyright laws of the United States afford,” the statement reads. “[The team] utilizes the full extent of legal protections available for its own intellectual property while simultaneously knowingly and willfully infringing on the intellectual property rights of the plaintiffs.”
The lawsuits are seeking $150,000 in damages for each infringement, which varies by team, depending upon the number of posts. But total damages could total well into the millions.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.